Happy, Healthy Mommy Blog

Monthly Archives: May 2014

What are you up to this summer? Here are some pictures showing our outdoor May activities. For our 2-year old, it’s all about movement, especially running! I hear “no, me” all day. Okay, have at it kid! There is still plenty of time for books, numbers and practical life skills with this rambunctious routine! Even today, B had fun cutting his own fries at lunch. We count everything that we can think of – button on shirts, mailboxes, cars, people, etc. If B says “no” to reading a book, I pick it up and start reading it to myself, which elicits another “no,me!” Can’t wait for more summer fun! We’re going to join our library’s summer book club, check out some kid-friendly shows and outdoor plays downtown, visit a few museums, check out a few farms, and continue our Montessori work at home. Should be exciting!

These pictures show play at a summer music concert, watering our herb pots, play at a fountain, and rides at a kiddie park.

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I’ve noticed my almost 26-month old toddler is spending more time on art projects. Maybe it’s a boy thing, but he wasn’t that interested before now. In the past, he would spent only a couple of minutes painting or coloring. Just last week he asked for his paints and worked on filling up the entire paper with two colors! He was very proud of his art work and quickly showed Daddy as soon as he came home. Recently, we also filled water bottles and added food coloring. We watched the dye disperse into the water and looked at the bottles held up to the light. B will often go over to the chalkboard and doodle. I love seeing him drawing circles. We make sure to display his artwork around the home, as well as posters of famous pieces of artwork. I have the Mono Lisa and some Van Gogh up in his bedroom. I’m looking for new ideas. What is your favorite way to support an interest in art around the home?

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Here are some activities on our Montessori-inspired shelf this week. B (25 months) is working on mastering numbers 1-10 and new vocabulary words. We are working on number values (not just memorizing the numbers). Sorting and number graphs help explain numbers values. Check out www.shelfwork.com for some great ideas and printouts. We also have fun counting random things around the yard or house. B is also working on mastering the alphabet phonetically. The letter activity allows practice with letters out of order to assist with mastery. We are consistently work on beginning sounds of words and then finding the corresponding letter.

Time to be in the garden! We had fun planting flowers and herbs this week. B has fun watching our strawberries turn from green to red. He is learning to be gentle with flowers and general body control. What is okay to pick and how do we care for plants (and animals)? We talked about how the sun is hot and trees create cool shade. We observed birds and had fun listening for them even when we couldn’t see them. What do you talk about with your toddler when you are outside or on a walk?

I loved spending time visiting our Montessori schoolroom. B attending Christian Montessori School at Lake Norman 3 days a week. This week was Teacher Appreciation Week. I volunteered to help the kids paint a stool and flower-pot for our teacher. My 25-month-old thought it was pretty cool to have mom at school. He was not happy when I had to leave – only to return a few hours later. All the toddlers enjoyed the painting activities. They loved being outside and getting messy. The paints washed off easily. Fingerprint flowers were a big hit and easy for the toddlers to manage. Then, I couldn’t help explore the toddler room. I always get inspired seeing new activities. I especially loved the “around the house” items, such as an old phone and keyboard. Don’t throw away your keyboard! It’s a perfect toy! I hope these pictures give you some good ideas for spring and/or activities around your Montessori-inspired home!

Our homemade fruit roll-ups were a hit. B (25 months) loves them. “Eat, eat!” They are easy to carry around and pretty healthy. One batch consisted of 2 cups of homemade applesauce (or store-bought unsweetened applesauce) and 1 cup fruit smoothie. The fruit smoothie I made this time consisted of bananas, strawberries, mangos, peaches, spinach, and ground chia and flax seeds. I poured the mixture into the top of my dehydrator with the plastic pan down and let is run pretty much all day (about 10 hours). The roll-ups came off easily with a spatula. I cut them into strips and stored them in the frig. I’m excited to try other flavors!

If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use a baking sheet and plop them in the oven. I’ve supplied a few links to other recipes using an oven.

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About the Author

Thanks for visiting! Forcing the Bloom is about learning to let life unfold in its own natural and beautiful way without forcing the "petals" of life open too quickly. Check out our Montessori activities, recipes, and ideas for around the home.